Windfarm could cost up to £40 million

Manx Utilities given estimations after renewables plans unveiled

A potential windfarm site on the Isle of Man could cost up to £40 million.

Estimations have been shared by Manx Utilities, after consultants gave a breakdown of the different cost options for either the Earystane & Scards or Sulby & Druidale site.

The plans for a windfarm were unveiled earlier this month, with hopes to have turbines up and running by 2026 and generating 20-megawatts of renewable energy.

Now, the costs for each potential site have been ranked.

The report shows the lowest cost option, at up to £30 million, is the installation of five 4.2-megawatt turbines at Earystane and Scards. It says: 'On this basis the project would also deliver a lower cost to customers in terms of a future generation tariff in p/kWh. Broadly this is because the cost of infrastructure is lower and the larger wind turbine sizes are utilised.'

The lowest manufacturing cost option is to take one of the turbines away and install four, five-megawatt turbines at the same site. The catch, however, is that a marine access ramp would be needed adding on a significant cost - up to an extra £10 million, roughly.

Despite that extra infrastructure cost, though, it would still be more effective than the options for the site in the north.

Additional turbines for Sulby and Druidale drive estimated costs up to that £40 million mark.

The options there: seven 2.5-megawatt turbines or twelve 2-megawatt turbines, the latter being ranked as the most costly option.

The more turbines though, the more upkeep - Manx Utilities says the consultant advised smaller turbines will incur higher operation and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the project.

The report goes on to say it was discussed that the 'lower visual impact' of Sulby & Druidale was 'less likely to attract objections and the additional cost may be worth offsetting this risk'. It was reiterated that the team were asked to make a decision on the overall best technical and environmental option, rather than the option with the lowest cost.'